Kia Unveils the Bigger-In-Texas Telluride at NYFW

Kia announced a new vehicle during New York Fashion Week, and TechnoBuffalo was there for the full unveiling. That’s because the carmaker sponsored Brandon Maxwell’s show on Saturday night. So we discovered the intersection of the automobile and fashion industries in what turned out to be a truly unique experience.

The 2020 Telluride made its global debut in a Texas-themed fashion show. Around the venue, there were pickup trucks and coolers. Kia served up drinks and BBQ for everyone. How does that fit this vehicle? Kia’s never made anything as large as the Telluride. Everything is bigger in Texas, right?

With the Telluride, you’re riding in a full-size SUV that holds up to seven passengers. It was first introduced as a concept model in 2016, but the South Korean brand has the design finalized and will have the Telluride on the road next year.

To celebrate the occasion, Kia also assembled a custom version of its new vehicle. The Telluride was deemed ‘ranch-ready’ and had saddle-like leather accents. Let’s just say Kia couldn’t have made the Telluride fit in a BBQ any better than this.

The Saturday night event for Maxwell’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection hadn’t even started and well-known personalities showed up. Designer Rachel Zoe was seated in front of me, and comedian Tiffany Haddish was no more than 20 feet away. Others at this show included supermodel Iman, gymnast Aly Raisman, singer Austin Mahone.

By the way, models Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid walked the runway in this show. The crowd went nuts, and so did I. Never have I been this starstruck in person.

In the afternoon, Kia also took us to Son Jung Wan’s show. We spotted actress Kelly Rutherford and Real Housewives of New Jersey star Margaret Josephs. Being that I’m from the Garden State, it was the perfect opportunity to fan out and take a photo. Were there other celebrities? Probably, but Real Housewives wins all for me.

The whole experience at New York Fashion Week came to an end with dinner at Buddakan. It’s a hotspot for famous people, but honestly, the restaurant was so dimly lit that I couldn’t recognize anyone. Still, the who’s who of the Big Apple’s social scene must’ve been in attendance.

From start to finish, Kia was kind and let us experience what most never will. The Telluride also turned out to be a perfect product for the Maxwell collaboration. Believe it or not, the two have a lot in common that made for a brilliant New York Fashion Week debut.

Jessy @wonderfulboy , my fiance, and our college friend, Erynn @erynncpatrick captured the SS19 design process in Marfa as a way to share a little bit of my world with you. The resulting film, Back to Dust, can be watched here: https://t.co/CWIzrowfDi

Back in Texas, the designer’s mother drove him to and from school in a Sedona. So, while assembling his Spring/Spring 2019 collection, Maxwell reached out to Kia about a partnership that could benefit his former school district. Kia didn’t hesitate, and immediately the carmaker entered into their relationship.

The Marfa Independent School District, where Maxwell spent his childhood, received assistance from Kia that benefits children’s education. Kia donated technological equipment, educational programming, and a Telluride for teachers to use.

Kia says the 2020 Telluride will arrive in showrooms in early 2019. As for Maxwell’s upcoming collection, that’ll also debut next year. So maybe you’ll get a new car and an upscale outfit for yourself or someone else to wear in that new Telluride.

Editor’s Note: Kia Motors America paid for transportation to/from two New York Fashion Week shows as well as our dinner. It did not have any impact on our coverage, though we appreciated the celebrity sightings and swanky meal. 10/10, would do NYFW again.